The client has invited engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors to bid for the contract, but says it will prioritise bids from companies proposing alternative means of investment, including the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.

Tender documents are available to local and international contractors until 18 June.

The contract will involve: construction of two 4,380-metre-long berths with a draft of 11-16 metres; the dredging of entrance channels and main and secondary basins; the supply and installation of gantry cranes and other loading and unloading equipment; earth filling and site preparation over a 1 million-square-metre area; and construction of associated buildings, including a freight station, transit sheds and warehouses, cold stores and administrative buildings.